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Mazda 5 IIHS crash results
- Thread starter nataliem257
- Start date
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nataliem257
New member
Surely that's bogus. I know it's considered a niche car, but families with more than 2 kids that can't afford a 35,000 vehicle is a pretty big niche, and they currently have an exclusive on that market. I think the only reason they don't sell like crazy is because for whatever reason Mazda refuses to market them. I had never heard of them, I stumbled upon the 5 while researching if I should buy a used Odyssey or a used Sienna, I bought a brand new one that day.
It's such a great idea, they just need to improve the structure!chumlysgrl
New member
I'm new to this website. Actually came across it while trying to figure out what to do about these ratings that I saw on CBS this morning the other day. I'm pretty freaked out, but it would really stretch our budget to trade. I don't know a TON about car seats, but have a 10 month old rear facing in a diono radian and a 3.5yr old 45lb boy front facing in an evenflo symphony. Would the 3yr old be better off in a different seat as he is on the drivers side? Can anyone recommend one? To trade and add $100+ a month to our payment would be tough...but if something happened that could have turned out differently if I had traded, it would be horrible.
GirlFriday
New member
We're in a similar spot, we can't trade it in right now and I keep remind myself that it's still safer then the car I used to drive. Or the one my husband drives, for that matter. And focus on making sure the kids are in seats with good side impact protection. Which unfortunately there aren't any real, public standards for.
There are a series of side impact crash test videos in YouTube, posted by user name ikea55 that I found on this site a year or two ago. They show how a variety of popular seats perform. I ended up with a nautilus based on them. But at least a few seats (the truefit and frontier, specifically) released new designs since they came out which look like they'd perform better.
It's the best I can do for now, and in your case keeping your younger RFing as long as possible provides a huge amount of side impact protection itself.
Sorry for the novel, I was really disappointed by the testing because I love my car and have been recommending it to friends since I got it.
There are a series of side impact crash test videos in YouTube, posted by user name ikea55 that I found on this site a year or two ago. They show how a variety of popular seats perform. I ended up with a nautilus based on them. But at least a few seats (the truefit and frontier, specifically) released new designs since they came out which look like they'd perform better.
It's the best I can do for now, and in your case keeping your younger RFing as long as possible provides a huge amount of side impact protection itself.
Sorry for the novel, I was really disappointed by the testing because I love my car and have been recommending it to friends since I got it.
littleangelfire
Well-known member
We were seriously considering a used one for our next vehicle, when we need more seats. This sucks. I am incredibly frustrated that the other brands that have vehicles just like this overseas don't bring them here. I know Both Honda & Nissan have one.
nataliem257
New member
You're basically in my exact shoes. I would imagine the results on the opposite side would be the same. Rest assured the statistical chances of having an accident at all, much less this specific type of accident, are very very small. You have your children in proper restraints which helps alot. If you did decide to trade, check what your pay off quote would be, it might not be as bad as you think (mine wasn't). There are several vehicles that got great results even in the 2013 year that you could get used, that likely wouldn't increase your payment.
chumlysgrl
New member
Well, I spoke with my uncle who works for a Mazda dealer. ( He didn't sell me mine because I bought a pre-owned) He is an intelligent, safety conscious individual himself, and didn't seem nearly as concerned about this as I expected. I thought for sure he would suggest I get into something else, but he didn't think that a lab engineered test should dictate what vehicles we choose to drive. The government has safety standards that ALL vehicle manufacturers have to meet in order for them to be on the road and that Mazda would be shooting themselves in the foot to put out an unsafe vehicle. So for now, I'm going to keep mine. I did some research, and I haven't found any vehicles that offer the 6 passenger seating, comfort and 30mpgs that I get from my 2012 for anywhere near the bargain price I paid for it. The only change I plan to make is to upgrade my 3 year old to a Britax pinnacle 90 when I can put together the $300. I feel confident about the Diono Radian my 10 month old is RF in.
DawgDad
New member
Interesting conclusion your Uncle came to... I have been in the car industry before and have stayed VERY close to it ever since. This is almost the complete opposite I have heard from anyone. Getting a singular bad score in something can be talked around. These lab tests simulate the MOST common crashes a vehicle can get into. They actually err on the side of caution outside the possibilities of what could really happen on the road. The Mazda 5 was hit by a sedan...not by a Suburban XLT. How many giant SUVs and Trucks do you see on the road where you drive? There are far too many here in Atlanta to know that if my car scored poorly in multiple crashes for less than real life scenarios, then I am NOT pleased.
The side impact for the 5 was a marginal performance...at only 30 mph. That's you going when the light is green and someone t-boning you running the red light the other direction. I am sorry, but on what planet is someone running a red light only going 30 mph through the intersection?
The small overlap is becoming a more and more typical accident. It's when someone usually goes over their line in oncoming traffic and hits the corner of your car. With more and more distracted drivers, this is becoming way too often of an occurrence. It was only done at 30mph...what if you were going 45 mph like most roads in the US?
Head restraints scored Acceptable...meh...it was mostly after the crashes that the seat was not adequate coverage for the body. Coupled with the airbags, it sent the heads off in a different direction than it was intended to do so safely.
While road speeds may be much higher in general, the crash test speeds are chosen to be at or above those involved in the vast majority of crashes of that type.
I generally wouldn't consider a vehicle with Poor, Marginal, 2-star or 1-star results in a crash test if I was buying a new one. I wouldn't necessarily rush to trade one because of that, though. I imagine my Highlander wouldn't likely receive an Acceptable or better score in the IIHS small overlap test if it was ever tested, given Toyota's track record for a number of its vehicle designs.
I generally wouldn't consider a vehicle with Poor, Marginal, 2-star or 1-star results in a crash test if I was buying a new one. I wouldn't necessarily rush to trade one because of that, though. I imagine my Highlander wouldn't likely receive an Acceptable or better score in the IIHS small overlap test if it was ever tested, given Toyota's track record for a number of its vehicle designs.
DawgDad
New member
Don't disagree at all there. The small overlap is a tough one to pass on most cars, but it's becoming a needed issue with distracted drivers crossing the yellow lines into oncoming traffic. Saw one this morning when I went to go run some things to dry cleaning. Looked like it was low speed, but still...didn't look pretty. Probably both totaled with broken axles and frame damage. I was thinking, "well damn, I was just talking about this on the forums an hour ago..."
littleangelfire
Well-known member
But it said only 1 car did well, and a car hardly anyone has at that, the cooper. I live in a high COL area and still only rarely see these, and we have a dealership that sells them 5 minutes away!. I see more BMWs, Infiniti, Jaguar and the like. My point being if NO cars are doing well, I'm not going to worry that much about it. Or did I misunderstand something?
nataliem257
New member
A whole bunch of cars are failing the small overlap test, true. There are some that are doing well, just not in that particular round of testing. The Mazda 5 is the only car that's been tested that got less than a an acceptable rating on the side impact test, which was much more upsetting to me personally.
littleangelfire
Well-known member
The side impact would bug me more, too, though I watched it and it didn't honestly seem all that different than others I've watched. I think I just take issue with this particular test that so many are doing bad on. Some crashes aren't yet going to have good outcomes, I don't think that means it's a bad car. And I actually hit a truck in what I think would count as this type of accident. I was going 45mph, truck was going much slower than that. I hit his rear wheel with the front driver side corner of my car. Must be different if you hit a big heavy immobile object, b/c my crash wasn't bad. I needed a new bumper, grill, and headlight and that was it.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/
nataliem257
New member
I have the exact opposite reaction to the small overlap, the fact that so many cars are failing makes me ticked off at the manufacturers not the test. It's like cheating -- they know the questions on the test ahead of time so they reinforce the parts of the car that they need to to pass those specific tests instead of making a safe car overall, tricking consumers. It makes me feel that much better about companies/vehicles who's model year design passed the test without having a redesign, like Subaru. It makes me feel like they care more about making a safe car than their bottom line (well maybe not more, but at least as much).
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